Vehicle wheel support



Jall- 1, 1952 c. E. FRANK VEHICLE WHEEL SUPPORT 2 SHEETS--SHEET l Filed Feb. 24, 1948 Jan. l, 1952 C, E, FRANK 2,580,383

VEHICLE WHEEL SUPPORT Filed Feb. 24, 1:948 v 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 I 1.x gi/1 w Xy nventor I llttorrlegs VPatented Jan. l, `1 ;952

eral Motors Cornoration poration-.of Delaware Detroitl Mich., av cor- ApplicatiomEebruary 24, 1948,-.Seral'No.105351? Alfil-iii;inventionrelatesVv .to an improvement-A' in Vehicle wheel` sugportsr.Y More', particularly it rdeals.: with. structurevby which; ther automotive susqpensionrsystem ,is joined" to the; rotatable road irrvteelzj,`

In; addition to; providing at..rotatablel wheel bearing;y the-improved'structure' affords vav tie-connecti'on.` between upperA and lower swinging; con.- txtoljiarms' ofi an independent' suspension system, thereJ being ball' jointstto accommodate the swing,- xiggarm travel, and also, providing in the casev of drigibleorf-steerable road'. wheel` a, kingpin .axis tfalineintersecting the centers. of'the two halrijgnts. The spaced ,apartiupper and lower ballfiginticonnecticnswandthecentraily;disposed. Whe 1" supnorting'huo areF united'.. by;- a; circular weh andby-suitable ribbing' on thev rear face of therrircnlar web. .s

Aside;- from tl'rerearl facezrihbingwhich extends' vertically between the hub; andjtheupper. and lo,y er, biarlr'ljpint-A connections thescircular' Webgisffu lier,"istiined"lbyjradially extendinghoriontaljribs; 'oneof whichurk terminates conveniently in vanv eye for the attachment of a steering tie rod., at,..appint vspaced Yfrom the` kingpin axis and thsftconstitutes"a"-steerng.;'1everarmi., Thel circulali web furtlieriserves .as a; backingJ plate .for th @rotatable brake; .d'rllm and;V as` a lsupport for theffusual" drum', engaging; brake'V shoes.: whose aetuating'nuid c3d'l1`1de'rsaresarried'onf .thegfiontl gladness-ethroughmutual j-cooperationof thexribs;

an g; integral formations: and for; a' minimum', off-i machiningl` operationswi'th al1' surfaces' rel--v quil-ing machining being readily accessible so tli ethefmeirresult-includesansimproved'product a'tlessfcost.l, l l

'Ilelir'nprov'ed-isftructureiandiits` advantages;`V will besb'etter fappreciatedrfrorn arrinspection of theY atoompla-1tying` drawings'whereirrl'igure 1" is affrontiielevationofi a fforrnmofflv independent* wheel.v suspension embodvingfther-invention; Figurer-2" isaavertical-sectionLof-the 'unitarywheel'mounting'g section Oneliner-BLS' iofs'Figura 5' fand'-^Fi'guref 7 @claims-5l (o l. 28o-96.1)

a' secti'orrof`l a portion' oi al whees'upnolt., cne taining'fa modied `joint connection attlie lower control'arm... l

In' the draw'ingjthe 'supportffor the frontroad Wheel' I isn'ivoted at top'and bottom ontheIouter ends ofnpper and' lower control arrnsv 4 and 3 Whos'elinn'erends" are hinged to thechas'sis. for' vertical travel upon defiection of aloa'd carrying spring, not shown, butA whichtr'ansm-its load between thechassis' and` the' lowercontrollarm.' Since the lower vcontr-oli arm. carries. the Weightto" the Wheel .and withtheupper control arniV 2- serving'largely asa'tiel rod or n'adiu's` arm itisdes'irable' to' join the. lowerV armfrelatively. closer tjofthewlieel.' axis" Thus the ball. stud 4. at the tonof""tlieupper control ar'm-l 2 issock-etedjin a'.

rearwardly' exten'dingna'd 5 ori'a'lcente'r. whiclils outside orb'eyond'th'e peripheral' rim ofthe circular'web '6' while 'the' balls'tudfl `on the. lw'er-conf trol arm 3 isflfioused within' a' .rearwardly pro- Wardly'fi'om th'e'i web. 6.. only vmachining required in, the'hubis 'at the Soip'osite 'shouldered ends 'which' receivethe'bearing' races f `the usual antifriction; bearing? assemblies I I and' I2 l'for thesrtatabie iflieelV ax'ie or spindle 'I3 whose einerr nang'ef-i amounts the vbrake 'drumi 5. andlby ineansl oficonventional screw studs, not shown, also re'- n'rovahly"v mounts 'the ra'd' wheel;

'Enclosed'by andenga'g'eable.with. the brakedrum' I 5 are' 'a'. pair of.' internal expanding-brake shoes'l and' I1. In' the' 'embodiment shown inv thedrawi'n'g 'the'i'brakei shoe. I 'Il is .arranged to be? p ivo'tally anchored at', its' lower; end. on-.a pin I8 nressiitted'eeFigure; SY. within .an openingina. forwardly projecting.V boss I9 integral wit1j1- the frontt'facefof the'webf 'and the companion brake shoe I6 san'choredatits' Aupperendl on api vct.pin

y 2l)VA (se'e Figure' 4)` similarly carriedonajorward'- IYllQrojectingboss .Zlcast'lonthe front ,face oi'. the" web- 6L" Brake expande'rsto engage-the opposite* or free ends" ofthe. pivoted'fsh'oes landI-I arefcarri'ed byj'and'form'a partofftheuppenandflowei pockets, constituting .pressure .iuidfcylinders Y Each' cylinder s`.shown in thedrawing as-con tainingth'e" co'nventi'c'inal hydraulically actuated?I h'llw'boss' 2'I'. It willvbe noted that the formal tion of the screw threads in the hollow boss can be easily accomplished from the open end and furthermore that the web 6 can be formed at the time of casting with passages for liquid flow communication with both cylinders. One of such cored passages is shown at 25 extending vertically through the circular web 6 and around the central hub between the vertically spaced upper and lower cylinders for the equalization and distribution of liquid pressure within the pair of cylinders during use. shown leading laterally through the Web to the upper cylinder and from a pipe fitting connection 2E' provided for attachment with a conduit or flexible hose forming part ofthe hydraulic brake system. If desired an additional passage may be cored in the web for use in bleeding off air which may become entrapped in the hydraulic pressure lines.

Radially extending stiifening or reinforcing ribs integrally cast on the rear face of thecircular web 6 are arranged both vertically and horizontally in regions requiring strengthening. Such ribbing includes the horizontal ribs 21 and 28 projecting forwardly and rearwardly from the central hub I with the rrib 28 terminating `in'a lateral enlargement 29 having an aperture for reception of a ball stud or the like by which the dirigible wheel support is joined to a steering tie rod, such as shown at 313. Above the central rib a vertical rib 3| on the web joins the hub extension Ill with the pad 5. Because the major load transmission is between the relatively closely spaced hub I0 and lower Acontrol arm receiving boss 8 additional ribbing is. provided below the hub comprising a central rib 3 2 as well as two ribs 33 and 34 joining both sides of the hub l0 with the opposite ends of the boss 8. Bearing in mind sturdiness for load transmission it will be noted that the lower control arm bearing not only is closer to the hub but is also nearer to the web than is the upper armconnection. Because of the difference in the loading of the upper and lower bearing balls the upper ball conveniently is spaced farther rearwardly from the web in order to afford an inclined kingpin axis extending between the ball centers.

As best seen in Figure 2 the end of the pad .5 has a half round socket in'its uppersurface containing a bearing liner or cup 35 for the ball end.

of the pivot stud 4 on the upper control arm 2. The ball is retained in the socket by a retainer collar 3S detachably bolted to the pad Vby corner studs 31. Forrsealing purposes a flexible sleeve 38/of rubber or the like terminates at one endv in a bead to fit tightly and snap intolan annular groove in the collar 36 and at its opposite end is bonded to a metal wear washer 39 which bears against the underside of `the adjacent portionI of the control arm. The rubber sleeve thus ac-l commodates relative movement of the parts,y retains lubricant for the bearing surfaces and excludes dirt and foreign matter. For the same purposes a bellows-like flexible sleeve 40 seals the4 space between the lower control arm 3 and the bearing pocket therefor.

arm and its opposite end is clamped by a marginal flange at the central aperture of a sheet metal retainer plate 4I mounted at opposite ends' by screw studs 42. A flat surface of the roof of spherical surface of the ball stud 1 Whose shank Another passage 26 is At one end it has a snap fit within an annular groove in the control 4 is press fitted into the apertured end of the lower control arm. The lower half round bearing surface of the ball stud is pivotally seated in the concave inner end of a screw plug 44 adjustably threaded into an aperture extending laterally of the hollow boss 8 and through its bottom wall. For disassembly the seal retainer plate 4I is devtached and-the screwrfplug 4L4'is backed downwardly sufficiently to .providaenoughclearance between the bearing cup 43 and the upper ball surface for enabling the cup to be slid out of the boss and which then allows removal of the ball lend fromthe hollow boss. Reversal of the pro- Obviouslyfa spherical bearing surface may be formed directly on the end of each control arm 'but largely for manufacturing economy it is preferableto employ separately formed hardened ball ends. In Figure =7 the end of the lower control arm l.fill is shown. with upperconvexI and lower concave part spherical .bearing surfaces to bear respectivelyona concave bearingsuriace formed directly in the roof 5l of the hollow boss 52 and on a ball 53 serving as a combined bearing and arm retainer and being retained by the screw plug 54 .threaded into the lower walLof the boss. Optionally the ball and plug Vmaylljle formed'i'n one piece. Here again theass'er'nbly and disassembly is effected through the adjustment of the screw plug 54.

, From `the above description it willbe seenv thatI the improvedstructure among other thingscombines ina simple and lowcostlsingle unit feasting requiring a minimum of machining operation .for replacing a number of heretofore `separately formed and bolted togetherparts, includingthe steering knuckle, the brake cylindersQan'd anchors, the steering arms, the brake ,dustshizld material, weight andexpensefor separate han;- dling vand manufacturing operations and pro;

: cedures. i

I claim: l l. A wheel carrier comprising a one-piece castfing generally in the. form of a circular. web,'a

central hollow hub .axially projecting on ..b0 th sides of the web.. top and bottom forwardlyfpro-- jecting hollowbosses .to lpro'videfbralre cylinders,` a cored passagewithin thel web vertically connecting the interiors .of ,said hollow.bosses,f hor-i4. zontal and vertical` stiifening Aribs on the rear` face of said web,`one of said horizontal ribsterminating ina tie rod connecting eye inl spaced relation to said hollow hub, a control armbeariing padextending rearwardly'from `the top.;0f the web and integral with the web and the ffupper end `of a vertical'rib anda hollowboss joinedlto the lower ribbing on the rears-faceof the webI and arranged to pivotally join .with a lower wheel control arm. v n .51?

2. A wheel support andr brale backing vplate formed as a unitary casting and: compris,- ng a hollow wheel spindle supporting hub;y a circular Web surrounding the hub. stiiTen-ing ribbing on the rear face ofthe web terminating above and below the hub in connecting form-afi tion for joining toY upper andi lower wheel-Heuss@V pension control' armseandat o ne side of lthe-hub in a connecting formation 'for joining tov astee# ing tie rod,` and top and-bottom. brake cylindering therebetween and through said, web'. 2g-.5;

3. A wheel support and brake backing plate formed as a unitary casting including a circular web having a hollow central wheel mounting hub, suspension mounting pads projecting rearwardly from the web at the top and bottom thereof, stilening ribbing on the rear face of the web merging into said suspension mounting pads, a pair of hollow bosses combined with the front face of the web to aloijd brake actuating cylinders and a cored passage extending through the web and communicating with the interiors of said hollow bosses. Y

4. A unitary one-piece wheel support and brake backing plate including a hollow hub for rotatably supporting a wheel, a circular web extending radially outwardly from the hub and having a cored passage therein extending through radial regions circumferentially spaced from one another and through a circular region adjacent the hub and a hollow formation in open communication with said cored passage and integralL with the front face of the web to constitute a part of uid actuating brake mechanism.

5. A wheel support structure, including a backing plate having a web, a centrally disposed wheel mounting hub projecting partially behind the web and a hollow boss on the rear of the web near the bottom thereof, stiifening ribbing merged with and integrating the hub and boss on the rear face of the web, a load transmitting suspension control arm having its outer terminal extending into said hollow boss and which terminal carries upper and lower spherical bearing surfaces, a bearing cup fitted to the boss for the upper bearing surface and a lower bearing surface socket in the form of a plug adjustably threaded in the wall of said boss.

6. In combination, a wheel support plate having a hollow boss on its rear face, a suspension control arm having its outer terminal housed within said hollow boss, spherical convex and concave bearing faces on the top and bottom, respectively, of said outer terminal, a bearing socket on the upperwall of the boss for the upper convex bearing face, said boss having an aperture in the bottom wall thereof, a plug threaded in said aperture and a combined arm retainer and bearing ball located by said plug in mating relation with said concave bearing face.

CLARENCE E. FRANK.

le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 875,358 Landry Dec. 31, 1907 1,776,488 Charles Sept. 23, 1930 1,901,924 Nalle Mar. 21, 1933 2,006,448 Frank July 2, 1935 2,069,253 Kliesrath Feb. 2, 1937 2,146,009 Chase Feb. 7, 1939 2,173,973 Leighton Sept. 26, 1939 2,193,753 Yungling Mar. 12, 1940 2,314,076 Casner Mar. 16, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 466,595 Great Britain Mar. 31, 1936 834,525 France 22. 1938 

